Saving Lives and Livelihoods: The Fundamentals of a Livelihoods Strategy

Complex emergencies are characterized, in part, by the deliberate exploitation of civilians. Undermining self-sufficiency and productivity are not merely by-products of conflict, but also are the intended consequences of war. In complex emergencies, systems of production are particularly vulnerable, rendering these types of disasters fundamentally different from natural disasters. Consequently, in... read morenovative approaches to providing relief and recovery assistance are essential. Tools for analyzing the critical trade-offs between implementing more immediate survival interventions and fostering self-sufficiency to ensure longer-term survival, i.e., saving lives and livelihoods, are much-needed by the international humanitarian relief community. read less